Tag Archives: Amir Al Mu’minin

Question 149: What is the meaning of the Verse: {Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves – [the angels] will say, “In what [condition] were you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will say, “Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to migrate therein?” For those, their refuge is Hell – and evil it is as a destination. * Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way – * For those perhaps Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.}[1]?

Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Intensely Merciful,

All Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and May Allah send His Peace and Blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis.

{Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves – [the angels] will say, “In what [condition] were you?” They will say, “We were oppressed in the land.” The angels will say, “Was not the earth of Allah vast [enough] for you to migrate therein?” For those, their refuge is Hell – and evil it is as a destination.}[2].

{while wronging themselves}: [meaning] not working with the Guardian of Allah, for they show [that they] believe in the Guardian of Allah and they claim that they believe in the Wilayah (authority of Ahlul Bayt a.s.). However, they fail to work (shortcomers in their work) without any true excuse, except for the hypocrisy which their hearts hide. And they say that they are {oppressed in the land}, however, their oppression is not true, but rather they have caused themselves to be oppressed due to their love of the world and [their] reliance on it (turning towards it), and love of life and fear of death. So if their faith was true [faith] they would have embarked upon working with the Guardian of Allah, even if they became exposed to risks.

{the earth of Allah is vast}: the Guardian of Allah is the Earth of Allah that is vast [3], and his knowledge is vast. {for you to migrate therein}: for you to migrate to Allah in the Guardian of Allah.

{Except for the oppressed among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan nor are they directed to a way -}, meaning, they are unable to devise a plan to escape the worldly imprisonment, and are not guided towards the path of working with the Guardian of Allah, and those were overcome by circumstances. For the disabled man, or woman, or child, is unable to keep up with the process of working, due to their special circumstances,for they believe in the Guardian of Allah, however, they leave working and supporting/giving victory to the Guardian of Allah. And their excuse is also unacceptable, because each one of them can work by what he is able to work by, as for throwing the rope on the back of the animal (meaning giving absolute freedom with no restrictions or conditions), then that is shortcoming with the Guardian of Allah, and consequently it is shortcoming in that which Allah has commanded them by.

{For those perhaps Allah will pardon them, and Allah is ever Pardoning and Forgiving.}

{For those perhaps…}: for they are deserving of punishment, while pardon and forgiveness is for those whom have not associated [with Allah] among them. So they are upon the Wilayah, however, they do not work, thus, forgiveness is for those who are shortcomers in their work, and as for leaving the Wilayah of the Guardian of Allah, or taking up other than him [as an authority], then this is shirk (Polytheism) and shirk is not forgiven.

{And whoever migrates in the path of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him – his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.}[4].

{And whoever migrates in the path of Allah}: the Guardian of Allah is the path of Allah [5], so whoever migrates in it towards Allah, he will find vastness, and great giving, and Allah gives him just as He gave the Prophets and the Messengers (pbuh). Just as Malik Al Ashtar whom was hundreds of Kilometers far away from for Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh), then he would sit in the night weeping, so his companions would ask him [regarding his weeping], so he would say: ‘I am weeping for I hear the supplication of Ali pbuh to Allah ’, for within the Kingdoms of Heaven had already been opened for Malik, as they had been opened for the Prophets and the Messengers.

{And whoever leaves his home}: his home: is his body, meaning, whoever leaves from his body, for death is of two types:

1 – (the detested type) and it is making the body a coffin for the soul through following desires, and the worship of the ‘I’ (ego), and love of the world, and supporting the enemies of Allah, and hold enmity towards the Guardian of Allah, and assuming his position, just as the non-working scholars do. Amir Al Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh) said: ‘While the other (kind of) man is he who calls himself learned but he is not so. He has gleaned ignorance from the ignorant and misguidance from the misguided. He has set for the people a trap (made) of the ropes of deceit and untrue speech. He takes the Qur’an according to his own views and right after his passions. He makes people feel safe from big sins and takes light the serious crimes. He says that he is waiting for (clarification of) doubts but he remains plunged therein, and that he keeps aloof from innovations but actually he is immersed in them. His shape is that of a man, but his heart is that of an animal. He does not know the door of guidance to follow nor the door of misguidance to keep aloof therefrom. These are living dead bodies. “So where are you going to” and “how are you then turned away?”. Ensigns (of guidance) are standing,and signs are clear, and the minarets (of light) have been fixed. Where are you being taken astray and how are you groping while you have among you the descendants of the Prophet? They are the reins of Truth, ensigns of Faith and tongues of truth/honesty. Accord to them the same good position as you accord to the Qur’an, and come to them (for quenching the thirst of guidance) as the thirsty camels approach the water spring.

O’ people take this saying from the Seal of the Prophets (pbuh and his Family) that he who dies from among us is not dead, and he who decays (after dying) from among us does not really decay. Do not say what you do not know, because most of the Truth is in what you deny. [Accept the argument] of one against whom you have no argument. It is I. Did I not act before you on the greater thaqal (ath-thaqal al-akbar, i.e. the Qur’an) and did I not retain among you the smaller thaqal (ath-thaqal-al-asghar, i.e. the descendants of the Prophet). I fixed among you the standard of faith, and I taught you the limits of lawful and unlawful. I clothed you with the garments of safety with my justice and spread for you (the carpet of) virtue by my word and deed. I showed you high manners through myself. Do not exercise your opinion about what the eye cannot see or the mind cannot conceive, Till people begin thinking that the world is attached to the Umayyads, and that they would be showering their benefits on them, and lead them to their clear spring for watering, and that their whip and sword will not be removed from the people. Whoever thinks so is wrong. There are rather a few drops from the joys of life which they would suck for a while and then vomit out the whole of it.’[6].

2 – (the praised type) and it is the raising of the Spirit from the body, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh & his family) said: ‘Whoever wishes to look towards a dead [man] walking upon Earth, let him look towards Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh).’ And Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh) said: ‘ Verily I was only a neighbor [to you], my body has neighbored you for days ’[7], meaning that his spirit is attached to the higher assembly, rather whoever dies by this praised death is alive even if his body died. And it has passed through in the speech of Amir Al Mu’minin (pbuh) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh & his family) said: ‘O’ people take this saying from the Seal of the Prophets (pbuh) that he who dies from among us is not dead, and he who decays (after dying) from among us does not really decay. Do not say what you do not know, because most of the Truth is in what you deny. [Accept the argument] of one against whom you have no argument.’

{then death overtakes him/then he realizes death}: meaning, that his spirit has migrated towards Allah and left his body, migrated in the vast Earth of Allah, and migrated in the path of Allah, or say migrated in the Guardian of Allah, to Allah.

{his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah.}, for he migrated towards Allah, so His reward is upon those who migrate to Him.

– Ahmad Al Hassan

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[1] – The Holy Qur’an Surat An-Nisā’ (The Women): 97 – 99

[2] – The Holy Qur’an Surat An-Nisā’ (The Women): 97

[3] – From a Sermon of Amir Al Mu’minin (pbuh) regarding the necessity of migration and its stipulations: ‘And migration stands as its original position. Allah has no need towards him who secretly accepts belief or him who openly does so. Migration will not apply to any one unless he recognizes the proof (of Allah) on the earth. Whoever recognizes him and acknowledges him would be a muhajir (immigrant)…’ [Nahj Al Balagha: Sermon 188]

[4] – The Holy Qur’an Surat An-Nisā’ (The Women): 100

[5] – From Muhammad son of Al Fadeel, from Abi Al Hassan Al Madi (pbuh) regarding the speech of the Almighty: {They have taken their oaths as a cover, so they averted [people] from the way of Allah.} – The Holy Qur’an Surat Al-Munāfiqūn (The Hypocrites): 2, he (pbuh) said: ‘… and the way is the Vicegerent, indeed, it was evil that they were doing…’ [Al Kafi: V. 1, P. 432 – 433, Hadith No. 91]